Economist Thomas Sowell has a new book out entitled Intellectuals And Race that, as usual, challenges the convential wisdom of the liberal intelligentsia. I interveiwed Sowell recently about the issues surrounding the book, and part one of that interview is now available at the American Spectator. Here is a snippet:

AmSpec:One of the things that comes across in the book is that it’s possible different racial groups will have different outcomes but those differences may be in no way related to genetics. So, what are the causes of difference?

Sowell: The first thing is that it’s not a question that it’s “possible” they will have differences. We have centuries of recorded history that say gross differences between groups have been the norm. But what is assumed both by many intellectuals and courts of law is that such differences are unusual. What’s unusual, if not non-existent, is an even representation of groups in different kinds of endeavors. In fact, any time that you find such a thing, which is rare enough in itself, almost invariably some kind of quota [is] imposed. Absent a quota, I can’t find any place anywhere in the world where different racial and ethnic groups have the same track record in any field.